The Ministry of Health has announced the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the newly established Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), effective October 1, 2024.
Through a public notice, the Ministry of Health informed employers that the transition to SHIF will be overseen by the Social Health Authority (SHA), which was established through the enactment of the Social Health Insurance Act 2023.
On Tuesday, President William Ruto appointed Dr. Abdi Mohamed to chair the Social Health Authority.
Dr. Abdi Mohamed has had an extensive career in Kenya’s healthcare sector, spanning various leadership roles in both public and private institutions.
He co-founded Ladnan Hospital in 2011, a 50-bed tertiary care center in Pangani, Nairobi, where he served as CEO and Managing Director.
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Under his leadership, Ladnan Hospital expanded its services to include a dialysis unit, ICU, and a facility in Wajir, aimed at providing healthcare services to nomadic communities in the North Eastern region.
In 2017, Ladnan Hospital merged with Metropolitan Hospital in Nairobi, where Dr. Mohamed took on the role of Director and Chief Operations Officer.
His responsibilities included overseeing hospital administration, negotiating equity financing for the merger, and expanding ICU facilities.
Dr. Mohamed has also served as the National Chair of the Kenya Association of Private Hospitals (KAPH), where he represented small and medium-sized hospitals in negotiations with the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Additionally, he is an Independent Director at Villgro Kenya, providing oversight on investment deals for healthcare start-ups.
Other roles in Dr. Mohamed's career include being a trustee for the Takaful Umbrella Fund, which is the first Shariah-compliant retirement and benefits scheme in East and Central Africa, and serving on the Kenya Medical Association's Disciplinary and Ethics Committee.
From 2020 to 2023, he represented the private sector as a Council Member of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council.